Inclusive education: Implementing recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission

Consultation has concluded

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 20 May - 13 June 2025. Below is a record of the engagement.


We are seeking your views on proposed changes to education laws to implement recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission.

What's being decided?

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability made 15 recommendations to prevent discrimination and promote safe, quality and inclusive education in all Australian schools.

To implement some of those recommendations, we need to amend South Australian education laws.

Draft legislation has now been developed which will support the

Consultation has concluded

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 20 May - 13 June 2025. Below is a record of the engagement.


We are seeking your views on proposed changes to education laws to implement recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission.

What's being decided?

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability made 15 recommendations to prevent discrimination and promote safe, quality and inclusive education in all Australian schools.

To implement some of those recommendations, we need to amend South Australian education laws.

Draft legislation has now been developed which will support the implementation of the following two recommendations:

  • Recommendation 7.1 - Provide equal access to mainstream education and enrolment
  • Recommendation 7.2 – Prevent the inappropriate use of exclusionary discipline against students with disability

Your feedback on the proposed changes will be important in finalising the amendments that will be put to Parliament.

Background

In 2023 the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) made 222 recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices to ensure a more inclusive society that supports the rights and independence of people with disability. Fifteen of those recommendations related to the education system.

In December 2024, the South Australian Government, Catholic Education South Australia and the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia announced an agreed cross-sectoral approach to implementing key recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission related to inclusive education.

To support the implementation of Disability Royal Commission Recommendation 7.1 (Provide equal access to mainstream education and enrolment) and Recommendation 7.2 (Prevent the inappropriate use of exclusionary discipline against students with disability), amendments to the Education and Children’s Services Act 2019 and the associated regulations have now been developed.

The government will continue to work on the implementation of its response to other inclusive education recommendations made by the Royal Commission.

Get involved

Find out more:

Have your say by:

  • completing our survey; or
  • sending your written submission to edlawreform@sa.gov.au including your contact details such as name, address, telephone number and email. Please note that written submissions may be published. If you do not wish for your submission to be published, please state this when you send your submission.

What are the next steps?

We will consider your feedback and provide a report to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills before the draft Bill is finalised for consideration in Parliament.

Consultation has concluded
  • Overview of consultation and introduction of Bill into Parliament

    The Education and Children’s Services (Inclusive Education) Amendment Bill 2025 was released on YourSAy for a four-week consultation period from 20 May – 13 June 2025. In addition, the Minister for Education, the Hon Blair Boyer, wrote to 51 stakeholders inviting their feedback and offering an opportunity to meet with officers of the Department for Education.

    JFA Purple Orange was engaged to facilitate three focus group meetings to seek feedback on the reforms directly from children and young people with lived experience of disability as well as parents of children with disability.

    Over the course of the consultation, 32 written responses were received from stakeholders, 71 respondents participated in the YourSAy survey and a total of 16 meetings were held with stakeholders. The measures in the Bill were well supported, with stakeholders particularly welcoming the increase in transparency and accountability that the new reporting provisions will bring and the cross-sector approach.

    The Bill was introduced into Parliament on 3 September 2025 and passed the House of Assembly on 18 September 2005.

    You can find the Bill here and track its progress in Parliament here.